My Dear Community,
Today I want to share a letter with you that is perhaps the most vulnerable one I’ve ever written. It took me a week to find the courage to write it, and I’m so thankful to have not only found the courage, but to have been invited to work through some deep struggles and beliefs around fear and shame in the process.
I write to you now from a place of deep calm and trust.
Two years ago, a confluence of major shifts happened all at once in my life—my long term relationship ended, I had to leave my job, and that same job left me with debilitating tendonitis in both my forearms. But more than that, these events were a catalyst to help me become aware of how far I'd drifted from my soul's purpose, from myself, and from my path.
It took a lot of time and healing to return to myself, to my path as an artist and creator, and to get back into alignment with who I am and why I'm here.
The past two years, I’ve rebuilt trust with myself and with that tender part of me that needs to know I’m going to take care of us. This is one reason it was initially difficult to write this letter, because I felt like I should be able to take care of myself, but what if the full extent of love can’t be experienced if we don’t allow others to take care of us sometimes?
I’m writing to you because I consider you to be part of my community. Whether we’ve connected online or in person, at a show, or somewhere in between, I cherish every connection and person in my orbit, near or far.
I’ve been challenged lately with the idea that true community involves an interdependence of some kind—a relying upon each other to help meet each other's needs. A community helps each other take care of real, tangible needs, but it also nurtures each other's growth as humans.
I find it’s often easier to give than receive, and flat out asking for care can be difficult. It feels vulnerable to ask for help, but in coming to a point in my life where I have a real, tangible need, I’ve been invited to work through my own stories around worthiness, and to be vulnerable and open to asking for and receiving care.
I know I'm here to share my insights and my art with the world, whether it's my writing, my music, or creating intentional gathering spaces for us to connect with each other, human to human.
After a lot of searching, I was led to the way forward in writing my book, Where the Map Ends: How to Step Into the Unknown and Find Your Way Back to Yourself—which I’ve delighted telling you about these past months. Through sharing my own life stories and learnings, the book guides people in navigating daily uncertainties and cultivating a relationship with our inner world that supports us in showing up more fully to our life.
This isn’t public yet, but the book will launch in conjunction with a new offering—a monthly premium printed publication called Inward, which will support people in navigating their inner and outer worlds to live a more aligned, full, and vibrant life.
These past two years, I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs with no luck. Thankfully, occasional contracts, music gigs, driving for Uber, and the support of a few close friends and family have got me through. I’ve done whatever I could to make things work, all the while, reconnecting with my art and calling—and for the past six months, working on my book.
But now, I've hit a point where I can't finish the book without help.
If you're in a season where it feels aligned for you and you're able, I'm asking for financial support to help me finish my book, launch Inward, and start the next chapter of my life.
Creating this book as an independent author has been a joy, but it’s also meant I’ve not had the resources and help you’d receive from a traditional publisher.
Your financial care would help me cover my tangible needs of bills and expenses, as well as costs for the book launch and setting up the business back end of the book and Inward’s printing and distribution. It would also support my time in bypassing hiring a web designer, graphic designer, and typesetter, as I have enough skills to be able to cut costs by doing this myself.
I have an aggressive timeline that would allow me to launch the book and Inward on May 15th. If this deadline can't be met, I have an alternate plan for a later release mid-June.
I chose not to do a full fledged crowdfunding campaign—like Kickstarter or Indiegogo—because I wanted to directly ask my community to help make this happen. This won’t be a month long campaign, but a simple ask, with a few reminders.
To be fully supported in finishing the book, I need $11,400. Any amount above this will go directly back into the book and Inward.
As a thank you, I want to do two things that feel really meaningful and special to me, and I hope you do as well.
One, every person able to support will have their names listed in the Acknowledgements section. In the end, this book will exist because my community rallied behind it, so I want your names printed in the book forever as it’s sent out into the world.
Two, I'd love to write everyone a personal letter on my typewriter. There's something magical about both typing on a typewriter and receiving a typewritten letter. I'd love to send a little of that magic your way.
When the book launches, it will be offered for free (aside from printing and shipping costs) as a gift to people, as well as serve as an entry-point into my world and an invitation to consider joining the Inward Community, so you’ll be able to get it for free then.
I believe in this book so much, and the feedback I've received from beta-readers (which some of you have been) has made me believe in it even more. What I've written in the book continues to guide me, and I believe it will help others too. And then, to be able to continue that work through Inward ... ooph, wow. I just got tears in my eyes.
One last thing. You might not be in a position to offer financial care right now even though you want to. Please know this: the fact that you’re even reading this means the world to me, because I already know you support me. I’m pausing to feel this truth right now, and again, tears in my eyes. If that’s you, please respond to this letter anyway, I still want to include your name in the book and type you a letter, because this book is possible because of all the types of care I receive.
It is a gift to be doing my true work. I’m so excited for where it will lead, but the first step is getting my book across the finish line and launching Inward.
If that's something that feels aligned for you to help make happen—whether you’re able to give $10 or $1000—I’d love to invite you to be part of the beginning of this next amazing chapter.
Thanks for reading, dear ones.
As ever, sending love your way,
Shel
